SIMLAW SEEDS GIANT NIGHTSHADE. (MANAGU)

Giant NightShade (managu/Mnavu)

Many farmers in Kenya have realized the hidden treasure of this leafy indigenous vegetable called the Gaint Night Shade. Growing Managu has become a lucrative venture for both women and youth in the rural areas. The crop takes a short period of time to start paying back the original capital with little management, making it a viable agribusiness.

The plant is an erect, many-branched herb growing 0.5 to 1.0 m high. Managu bears thin, oval, slightly purplish leaves up to 15 cm in length. The plant has numerous white flowers and usually purple to black round berries about 0.75 cm in diameter containing many small, flattened, yellow seeds.

Managu leaves are eaten as a cooked vegetable, often mixed with other vegetables and the fresh fruit is also consumed.

LOCAL NAMES

Local Names:

Swahili —Mnavu

Kikuyu —Managu,

Luhya —Namaska,

 Luo —Osuga,

Kipsigis— Isoiyot,

 Kamba —Kitulu,

Maa —Ormomoi,

 Taita —Ndunda,

Luganda —Nsugga

Approximate number of seeds per gram is 800